Dual Hearts (Seduction Series Book 1)

by Emily Vincent

  It was true, I’ve never been a girly-girl who loved dressing up. It wasn’t that I didn’t like dresses, heels, and all the pretty stuff, but, before starting a career in acting, I never had the chance, or money, to enjoy that kind of stuff. I didn't even go out for drinks with friends often. And any friends I have had in the past never seem to stick around long, especially in the industry I was trying to break into.

  Go big or go home, right?

  We snuck through a secret panel door on the back wall at the other end of the room. We walked into a lounge area with two doors on either side of the room, one for ladies and one for gentlemen.

  Grayson pointed to the doors. “Dressing rooms, obviously. Do not go into the male area, under any circumstances.”

  “What if there is a fire, or life and death situation?” I asked seriously.

  Grayson laughed. “You’re funny. I like you.” I nodded. “You have a really dry sense of humor, but the humor is there. I like it.”

  We walked over to the ladies door and Grayson pushed it open and walked right in, without knocking. He stopped just inside and looked around, clapping his hands. “Ladies, you all look wonderfully magnificent. You’re all gorgeous, including my sexy waitresses.”

  The room was full of women all dressed differently. Long dresses on some, lingerie on others, cute dress-up outfits on others, bikinis on others, shorter cocktail dresses, and twelve girls, two of them I recognized, Krystal and Mercury, dressed in full showgirl attire with the bright pink feathers on their heads.

  What kind of party was being thrown tonight? I wondered. And why aren’t they out there right now?

  “Okay, Elisha, let me introduce you to Chloe.”

  “Hi,” the tall blonde in a sexy police outfit greeted.

  “Hi,” I replied.

  “Chloe, this is Elisha, also known as my stoic princess, and cute klutz.”

  “Ahh, the girl who slid off the stage.”

  I felt my face heat up.

  Grayson chuckled. “That’s the one,” he looked at me. “Smile, okay? It’s just a joke and a bit of fun.”

  He was right, turning all Sensitive Sally over something like that wasn’t going to do me any good at all. I chuckled a little before nodding, “Yep, that’s me.”

  “Alright, well I’m going to leave you here with Chloe.” Chloe nodded. “She will dress you and tell you everything you need to know.” Grayson turned to Chloe then. “She has no idea, teach her everything. I want to hear about her getting at least $500 in tips tonight.”

  My eyes widened. How much money did these people have?

  “Sure thing,” Chloe grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Now get out so I can work my magic.”

  I wanted two minutes to quickly go over and say hi to Krystal. I’ve only seen her for an hour here and there since we started working, and I would’ve liked the chance to catch up with her quickly, but she was quickly ushered out of the room with the other showgirls the second Grayson left me in Chloe’s capable hands. She seemed very capable and confident.

  “Alright, you look terrified. New?”

  I nodded. “Didn’t realize I looked scared.”

  “You don’t really look scared, but I can smell the newness on you. You’re adorable.”

  “Thanks, I think.”

  “Come on.”

  After an hour, I was dolled up to Chloe’s satisfaction and pushed onto the floor. There were more people here now than there were when I first walked in, and I felt myself feeling a little self-conscious in the wildly inappropriate outfit I had to where.

  A pink bunny!

  Waitressing has never been my best working experience in the past, but at least then I was fully clothed and able to wear flat shoes with minimal makeup and hair tied back. Here now, I had to wear a pink satin leotard, with a white fluffy tail, ears, white stockings and glitzy heels.

  It felt degrading, and not at all like waitressing.

  ‘Smile, be happy, friendly. Tell the ladies you love their shoes and earrings, tell the guys their ties are sexy and you love their beards. Flirt, girl! You can do it!’ Chloe told me.

  ‘I don’t really have a choice if I want to keep my job now, do I?’ I retaliated.

  She shook her head, ‘No, actually, not really. Have fun, holler if you need me.’ And with that, she was gone.

  I was relieved though that I wasn’t taking drink orders, I had to carry around a tray of mixed vodka cocktails. The icy, bright colored kind that could be drunk like water. Dangerous!

  I was working till three in the morning, and checked the clock to see I had only two hours left. I was relieved because my feet were starting to get sore. But just like the actual entertainers here, us waitresses could sit down and talk with people for a short time. “If you’re having fun, they’re having fun. And if they’re having fun because you are, they will tip. And if everyone is happy and having fun, the bosses are super happy.’ Chloe’s advice rang through my head again as I sat and talked to a nice guy, who was at least double my age.

  Apparently, I looked like his first wife. I laughed at the statement, just like Chloe told me to do, then battered my eyelashes and smiled, telling him he was gorgeous and sweet, with a nice tie. And it was a nice tie. He gave me $50 for a quick three minute chat and the promise of bringing him a fresh beer on my next round around the roof top.

  I wasted no time in getting him a new beer. He gave me fifty bucks, and I didn’t want to give him a reason to ask for it back if I took my time.

  “Hey!”

  I turned around to see Krystal standing next to me at the bar. “Oh, hey, how are you?”

  She smiled. “Having the best time. How are you? Making tips?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. I hate flirting and smiling so much, but it does get me good tips.”

  She laughed. “Yes, it does, and don’t forget that.” She quickly fixed her lipstick using a silver tray. “Hey, when you get a second, can you bring a tray of cocktails over to the Gold Room?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be there in five.”

  “Cool, thanks!”

  And with that, Krystal was gone, heels clicking on the floor, and feathers bouncing around as she walked. Once my tray was full to the point where it was near unbearable to carry I made my way to the Gold Room, one of the many smallish areas inside the Sapphire Lounge.

  The Gold Room was where the very big VIPs of VIPs hung out and lounged around.

  I just finished putting the last of my drinks down when a small commotion was coming from the back corner of the Gold Room. I looked up and saw and irate woman about to lob her drink at a man in a very sharp suit. My eye’s widened, it was Mr. Sharp Suit that was at my audition.

  I wasted no time and moved to the woman, quickly grabbing the glass before it left her hand. She was grabbed by security right as everyone gasped.

  “Let go of me! How dare you touch me! This is completely unacceptable, and I won’t be treated so harshly!”

  She continued screaming like a banshee as she was dragged from the Gold Room and taken to the elevators. "What the –" I mutter before turning around. The drink didn’t spill at all and I was so grateful because I was sure I’d be the bunny stuck cleaning up.

  "Are you okay?” I asked.

  The guy looked at me as if he was in shock, but nodded anyway. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he said. “Thanks for that.”

  I nodded. “Don’t worry about it.” I said before I started to walk away.

  “Hey, what's your name?” He asked quickly, touching my shoulder.

  I turned back to look at him. “Elisha,” I replied.

  “You’re new, aren’t you?” he asked. “I think I saw you at the showgirls audition last week.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, that was me. I was the one who went flying off the stage.”

  He laughed. “That was definitely interesting, and I can tell you it hasn’t been done before, so it definitely caught everyone’s attention.”

  “I wasn’t really trying to c
atch anyone’s attention, I just wanted to ace my audition so I would have had more of a chance of winning a place than I did.”

  “You don’t like waitressing?” he asked.

  “No,” I shook my head. “I really don’t. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to get back to work, I would really like to keep my job.”

  I started to walk away again, only to be stopped by the same hand on my shoulder. “Hey, wait up, I wasn't trying to be mean, I was just saying that I recognized you.”

  “Please, I have to get back to work."

  I didn't get a chance to walk away before I was grabbed again. “Why don’t you sit and have a drink with me?”

  I tried not to laugh. “What?” I scrunched my brows. "I can't sit down and have a drink, I have to work. I would really like to keep my job."

  He smirked. “You’re not going to get fired.”

  He put his arm on the small of my back and led me to the elevators. Instead of going into the normal ones, the security standing by the lift pressed the button on the executive’s elevator. Who was this guy? I wondered.

  “Thanks,” he muttered to the security before the doors closed.

  “I really don’t want to lose my job,” I told him.

  “And you won’t,” he replied with a short laugh and cocky smile.

  “How do you know?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips and pouting.

  He looked at me up and down for a moment. It was a lustful stare and it made my heart skip a beat. Mr. Sharp Suit was gorgeous, he really was to die for and I knew this should make me happy. I mean, a guy like him, a very rich and handsome guy like him, taking interest isn’t something that happens all the time. Actually, this would be the first. Rich and handsome men didn’t look at me.

  “Only your boss can fire you, right?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, that’s usually how the whole employment thing works.”

  He smiled again, God he’s pretty! “Right, well I’m not going to fire you.”

  “Huh?”

  My question went unanswered as the elevator doors opened with a ding, and Sharp Suit was out in a flash. I walked out of the lift after him into the most lavish and elegant office I had ever seen.

  Is this guy my boss? Like, THE boss?

  “Sit, I’ll grab us a drink,” he told me, pointing to a leather couch by the window.

  I did as he said and went over to the couch and sat down without saying a word. I didn’t have any words to speak due to the shock I was currently in. I just stopped a drunkenly crazed woman from throwing a drink on a man who is actually my boss, and now I am in his office.

  I looked around.

  And what a fancy office it was. If this is his office, I wondered what the company owner’s office looked like.

  “Champagne?”

  I nodded. “Yes, but just a small one, I really shouldn’t be drinking on shift. Or your boss will fire you.”

  He laughed as he handed me a half-filled glass of champagne. “I have no plans on firing myself, or you.” My eyes widened as I looked at him. “What’s that look for?”

  “Anyone can be fired,” I said before taking a sip of the champagne.

  “I’m the owner of Class Enterprises.” I spit my mouthful out as the words hit my ears. “I have no plans on firing you or myself.”

  “You’re the owner, of this, like, all this?” I could feel my heart racing and heat rising under my skin. Was it curiosity, lust, fear, shock… a combination of all four?

  He nodded. “You look surprised.”

  He pulled his phone from his pocket before shrugging his jacket off and dropping it over the small table in front of us. He sat back down on the lounge, sitting close to me, but not so close that were touching and I felt uncomfortable.

  “I’m surprised,” I told him. “Like, really surprised.”

  “Thank you for saving my suit though.”

  I looked at him and saw humor behind his gray eyes. They were dull in color, but there was something bright about them that I couldn’t place. Caring and curious is what his gaze told me about him. His hair was dark and slicked back much the same as it was the day I saw him at the audition, but now he was sporting a bit of stubble on his face. Though I haven’t been much for beard in the past, I did like the look of a little hair around his chin.

  “Why was she angry?” I asked suddenly without thinking at all.

  “That was Annette Pringle.” He held my gaze for a moment before raising his brows. “You do know who Annette is, don’t you?”

  I shook my head. “No,” I replied as I took another sip. “Who is she?”

  “Annette, is the daughter of a very wealthy man. Her father Bruce Pringle, a man who was invested in Class up until a year ago when I bought him out.”

  “She is angry about that?” I asked.

  “She is furious, and so is he. Bruce and Annette were trying to buy more and more of the company, and were trying to make changes. Their involvement started to become too personal to a point where they were trying to branch out a little.”

  “Oh, they tried to take your company?” I asked, this business conversation confusing me.

  “Kind of. They figured if they could get enough people on their side they would eventually be able to buy me out.”

  “How can someone buy you out of your own business? Unless you are broke, of course.”

  He laughed. “I am definitely not broke and neither is Class. They tried like others have done before them, and they failed, just like the others before them.”

  “Interesting,” I said as I leaned back into the seat, getting comfortable. “So, how did you come into all this?”

  “I will answer that question and others you have if you answer a question for me.”

  I started to feel nervous under the scrutiny of his gaze, but nodded anyway.

  “How did you end up here?”

  “You mean working here?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Well,” I started, trying to think about where I should start. “Uh, well, I came here right before my audition the other day. I was living in L.A. trying to start my acting career but failed that, so I found out about the auditions and I was told working with Class was the next best thing. So, here I am.”

  “You have never heard of Class Enterprises before coming for your audition?” he asked, sounding surprised.

  I nodded. “Of course I have heard of Class, who hasn’t! Everyone wants the chance to work here, even being a cleaner is a huge thing.” I took another sip of my champagne. “Class Enterprises is in every magazine, newspaper and on the news at least three times a week. They call Class the best place in America, but it isn’t a place at all.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “It’s just a company.”

  He nodded, “A company that everyone wants to work at.”

  “Uh-huh!”

  “One more question, before I answer yours. What did you do to catch my head security guards eye?”

  I was once again very confused. “Who?”

  “My head of security and one of my body guards, Xander Wolfe, he said that you had real talent and I’d be crazy not to hire you.”

  I thought about it for a second before remembering what Krystal said about Mr. Security and how he spoke to Grayson before she was told to come hunt me down.

  “Mr. Security, the guy that was talking to us before the audition and then was with you the rest of the time?”

  “You’re very observant,” he chuckled. “But yes, Mr. Security is Xander Wolfe.”

  “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even speak to him at all.” I shrugged. “I’m not sure why he recommended me, I haven’t even seen the guy before yesterday, or at least I don’t think I have.”

  “Okay, fair enough.”

  Chapter 3

  “Sounds like you’re crushing on him,” Krystal laughed.

  “I’m not.” I denied her accusation instantly, taking a gulping mouthful of coffee. “He’s just different.”
>
  “Crush, my friend, you’re crushing on our boss.”

  “Nope.”

  “Yep.”

  I laughed. “Am not, I will be in the building in five minutes, just getting out of the taxi.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  “Bye.” I quickly hung up the phone.

  I yawned again for the third time in the last five minutes. Last night my shift was supposed to finish at 3 AM, but I ended up staying until nearly five because Chris and I were so wrapped up in our conversation that we both lost track of time.

  Mr. Chris Pierce. My boss is Mr. Christopher Pierce. A billionaire, gentleman, playboy - according to all the papers and online articles - and an orphan. I found out he was an orphan last night because he told me, but the other things were the rumors I’d heard since starting and what I’ve seen in the news. Before last night, I had never seen what he looked like, which was why I didn’t recognize him the first day, or last night before he told me.

  He was interesting.

  I’d thought about our conversation from the moment I left last night until now. The talk we had drained me of all energy because it wasn’t the light fluffy conversation two people would usually have when they first meet. It was intense and focused. He already knew everything about me, but he asked questions anyway. And it turned out we had a little more in common than we realized.

  He lost his mother when he was still a child. But his father, although very rich, was there for him. He had some help raising Chris, but it was mostly him and his dad the entire time. They were close, and he said he was only a decent man because he learned everything from his father. Although taking over the company after his death was exciting, he missed him very much and would have loved a few more years.